Islamabad: In a move that fundamentally reshapes Pakistan’s power structure, the country’s Parliament has passed sweeping constitutional amendments granting unprecedented authority to the armed forces. The new provisions give the Pakistan Army and its Chief near-total control over the nation’s defense apparatus, including nuclear capabilities, signaling a decisive shift away from civilian oversight.
The amendment, which revises Article 243 of the Constitution, creates a new military command post titled “Chief of Joint Forces,” effectively merging the leadership of the Army, Navy, and Air Force under a single supreme commander. General Asim Munir, the current Chief of Army Staff, is expected to assume this newly created position upon the completion of his present term. The role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) previously a ceremonial coordination body will be abolished after November 2025.
Under the new constitutional framework, the Chief of Joint Forces will hold ultimate authority over all operational, strategic, and administrative decisions concerning Pakistan’s armed forces. The most striking change is the formal transfer of nuclear command authority from the civilian leadership to the military. This marks the first time in Pakistan’s history that control over its nuclear arsenal a cornerstone of national security has been explicitly placed in the hands of a uniformed officer.
In addition, the new post will have the power to appoint, promote, and transfer top military officials across all branches. The Prime Minister’s role in such decisions has been reduced to a procedural endorsement, rather than a decisive check. Observers say this effectively transforms the military chief into a de facto commander-in-chief of the state, overshadowing both parliament and the presidency.
The amendment also introduces lifetime honorary ranks such as “Field Marshal,” “Marshal of the Air Force,” and “Admiral of the Fleet.” These titles, once conferred, cannot be revoked or challenged in court. Recipients will enjoy legal immunity, state privileges, and continuing influence in military and political affairs, even after retirement. Critics argue that this entrenches a culture of military supremacy and weakens Pakistan’s fragile democratic institutions.
Pakistan has a long history of military intervention in civilian governance, but the new constitutional setup marks the first time such power has been legitimized through parliamentary approval. Civilian leaders, including members of the ruling coalition, defended the move as a step toward “streamlined national defense and decision-making unity.” However, opposition parties and civil society groups have condemned the change, warning that it effectively sidelines parliament and neutralizes civilian checks on military actions.
Political analysts caution that the institutionalization of military dominance could have lasting consequences. “This is not merely a power shift it’s a systemic transformation,” one Islamabad-based analyst noted. “Pakistan has now constitutionally codified the military’s supremacy, and that will change the entire fabric of governance.”
The international community has expressed concern over the consolidation of military control in a nuclear-armed state. Analysts fear that centralizing nuclear command in one uniformed position increases the risk of miscalculation in crisis situations, particularly given Pakistan’s volatile relationship with India.
India, while maintaining strategic restraint, is expected to closely monitor developments in its neighbour’s defense structure. Meanwhile, Western powers are likely to reassess their diplomatic and military cooperation with Islamabad, given the erosion of civilian oversight and potential implications for non-proliferation norms.
For decades, Pakistan’s political system has oscillated between fragile democracy and direct military rule. This amendment represents a new hybrid order one where the military’s supremacy is legally enshrined rather than informally exercised. The government’s justification for the move, centred on “national security coherence,” has done little to quiet fears that the constitution has been rewritten to institutionalize permanent military dominance.
As General Asim Munir prepares to transition into his new role as the all-powerful Chief of Joint Forces, Pakistan stands at a critical crossroads. The country’s democratic future now depends on whether its civilian institutions can reclaim balance or whether Pakistan’s uniformed leadership will remain the ultimate arbiter of power, politics, and nuclear authority.